Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics estimates of the ‘avoidable’ social costs of congestion for the 8 Australian capitals total approximately $16.5 billion for the 2015 financial year, having grown from about $12.8 billion for the 2010 financial year. These traffic delay increases have BITRE base case projections of the avoidable social costs of metropolitan congestion rising to around $30 billion by 2030

According to the RAC WA Congestion Survey 2015, business’s say loss of productivity remains the number one consequence of congestion, they also cited increased time spent on roads (97%) and increased fuel consumption (95%) as major issues affecting how they did business.

Infrastructure Australia have predicted that by 2031 seven of Australia’s ten most congested road corridors will be in Perth, and this congestion will cost Western Australia $16 billion annually.

Congestion forecast to cost $Billions in infrastructure expenditure.

For example, in WA infrastructure spending on transport assets is the largest sector of Asset Investment by the WA State Government, accounting for approximately 31% of infrastructure spending. Committed spend in Perth alone:

Airport Link – $2bn

Aubin Grove Train Station – $120m

Mitchell Freeway North Extension – $261.4m

North Link – $1.12bn

Perth Freight Link – $1.6bn

Ellenbrook Rapid Bus Transit Way – $49m

TOTAL EXPENDITURE $5.15bn before 2020

For the period 2017 to 2020 the WA Government had budgeted over $7 billion to be spent on transport infrastructure.